Cyrano de Bergerac [43]
What is the matter?--You are very red.
THE CADET: The matter?--Nothing!--'Tis my blood--boiling at the thought of the coming battle!
ANOTHER: Poum, poum--poum. . .
DE GUICHE (turning round): What's that?
THE CADET (slightly drunk): Nothing!. . .'Tis a song!--a little. . .
DE GUICHE: You are merry, my friend!
THE CADET: The approach of danger is intoxicating!
DE GUICHE (calling Carbon de Castel-Jaloux, to give him an order): Captain! I. . . (He stops short on seeing him): Plague take me! but you look bravely, too!
CARBON (crimson in the face, hiding a bottle behind his back, with an evasive movement): Oh!. . .
DE GUICHE: I have one cannon left, and have had it carried there-- (he points behind the scenes): --in that corner. . .Your men can use it in case of need.
A CADET (reeling slightly): Charming attention!
ANOTHER (with a gracious smile): Kind solicitude!
DE GUICHE: How? they are all gone crazy? (Drily): As you are not used to cannon, beware of the recoil.
FIRST CADET: Pooh!
DE GUICHE (furious, going up to him): But. . .
THE CADET: Gascon cannons never recoil!
DE GUICHE (taking him by the arm and shaking him): You are tipsy!--but what with?
THE CADET (grandiloquently): --With the smell of powder!
DE GUICHE (shrugging his shoulders and pushing him away, then going quickly to Roxane): Briefly, Madame, what decision do you deign to take?
ROXANE: I stay here.
DE GUICHE: You must fly!
ROXANE: No! I will stay.
DE GUICHE: Since things are thus, give me a musket, one of you!
CARBON: Wherefore?
DE GUICHE: Because I too--mean to remain.
CYRANO: At last! This is true valor, Sir!
FIRST CADET: Then you are Gascon after all, spite of your lace collar?
ROXANE: What is all this?
DE GUICHE: I leave no woman in peril.
SECOND CADET (to the first): Hark you! Think you not we might give him something to eat?
(All the viands reappear as if by magic.)
DE GUICHE (whose eyes sparkle): Victuals!
THE THIRD CADET: Yes, you'll see them coming from under every coat!
DE GUICHE (controlling himself, haughtily): Do you think I will eat your leavings?
CYRANO (saluting him): You make progress.
DE GUICHE (proudly, with a light touch of accent on the word 'breaking'): I will fight without br-r-eaking my fast!
FIRST CADET (with wild delight): Br-r-r-eaking! He has got the accent!
DE GUICHE (laughing): I?
THE CADET: 'Tis a Gascon!
(All begin to dance.)
CARBON DE CASTEL-JALOUX (who had disappeared behind the rampart, reappearing on the ridge): I have drawn my pikemen up in line. They are a resolute troop.
(He points to a row of pikes, the tops of which are seen over the ridge.)
DE GUICHE (bowing to Roxane): Will you accept my hand, and accompany me while I review them?
(She takes it, and they go up toward the rampart. All uncover and follow them.)
CHRISTIAN (going to Cyrano, eagerly): Tell me quickly!
(As Roxane appears on the ridge, the tops of the lances disappear, lowered for the salute, and a shout is raised. She bows.)
THE PIKEMEN (outside): Vivat!
CHRISTIAN: What is this secret?
CYRANO: If Roxane should. . .
CHRISTIAN: Should?. . .
CYRANO: Speak of the letters?. . .
CHRISTIAN: Yes, I know!. . .
CYRANO: Do not spoil all by seeming surprised. . .
CHRISTIAN: At what?
CYRANO: I must explain to you!. . .Oh! 'tis no great matter--I but thought of it to- day on seeing her. You have. . .
CHRISTIAN: Tell quickly!
CYRANO: You have. . .written to her oftener than you think. . .
CHRISTIAN: How so?
CYRANO: Thus, 'faith! I had taken it in hand to express your flame for you!. . .At times I wrote without saying, 'I am writing!'
CHRISTIAN: Ah!. . .
CYRANO: 'Tis simple enough!
CHRISTIAN: But how did you contrive, since we have been cut off, thus. . .to?. . .
CYRANO: . . .Oh! before dawn. . .I was able to get through. . .
CHRISTIAN (folding his arms): That
THE CADET: The matter?--Nothing!--'Tis my blood--boiling at the thought of the coming battle!
ANOTHER: Poum, poum--poum. . .
DE GUICHE (turning round): What's that?
THE CADET (slightly drunk): Nothing!. . .'Tis a song!--a little. . .
DE GUICHE: You are merry, my friend!
THE CADET: The approach of danger is intoxicating!
DE GUICHE (calling Carbon de Castel-Jaloux, to give him an order): Captain! I. . . (He stops short on seeing him): Plague take me! but you look bravely, too!
CARBON (crimson in the face, hiding a bottle behind his back, with an evasive movement): Oh!. . .
DE GUICHE: I have one cannon left, and have had it carried there-- (he points behind the scenes): --in that corner. . .Your men can use it in case of need.
A CADET (reeling slightly): Charming attention!
ANOTHER (with a gracious smile): Kind solicitude!
DE GUICHE: How? they are all gone crazy? (Drily): As you are not used to cannon, beware of the recoil.
FIRST CADET: Pooh!
DE GUICHE (furious, going up to him): But. . .
THE CADET: Gascon cannons never recoil!
DE GUICHE (taking him by the arm and shaking him): You are tipsy!--but what with?
THE CADET (grandiloquently): --With the smell of powder!
DE GUICHE (shrugging his shoulders and pushing him away, then going quickly to Roxane): Briefly, Madame, what decision do you deign to take?
ROXANE: I stay here.
DE GUICHE: You must fly!
ROXANE: No! I will stay.
DE GUICHE: Since things are thus, give me a musket, one of you!
CARBON: Wherefore?
DE GUICHE: Because I too--mean to remain.
CYRANO: At last! This is true valor, Sir!
FIRST CADET: Then you are Gascon after all, spite of your lace collar?
ROXANE: What is all this?
DE GUICHE: I leave no woman in peril.
SECOND CADET (to the first): Hark you! Think you not we might give him something to eat?
(All the viands reappear as if by magic.)
DE GUICHE (whose eyes sparkle): Victuals!
THE THIRD CADET: Yes, you'll see them coming from under every coat!
DE GUICHE (controlling himself, haughtily): Do you think I will eat your leavings?
CYRANO (saluting him): You make progress.
DE GUICHE (proudly, with a light touch of accent on the word 'breaking'): I will fight without br-r-eaking my fast!
FIRST CADET (with wild delight): Br-r-r-eaking! He has got the accent!
DE GUICHE (laughing): I?
THE CADET: 'Tis a Gascon!
(All begin to dance.)
CARBON DE CASTEL-JALOUX (who had disappeared behind the rampart, reappearing on the ridge): I have drawn my pikemen up in line. They are a resolute troop.
(He points to a row of pikes, the tops of which are seen over the ridge.)
DE GUICHE (bowing to Roxane): Will you accept my hand, and accompany me while I review them?
(She takes it, and they go up toward the rampart. All uncover and follow them.)
CHRISTIAN (going to Cyrano, eagerly): Tell me quickly!
(As Roxane appears on the ridge, the tops of the lances disappear, lowered for the salute, and a shout is raised. She bows.)
THE PIKEMEN (outside): Vivat!
CHRISTIAN: What is this secret?
CYRANO: If Roxane should. . .
CHRISTIAN: Should?. . .
CYRANO: Speak of the letters?. . .
CHRISTIAN: Yes, I know!. . .
CYRANO: Do not spoil all by seeming surprised. . .
CHRISTIAN: At what?
CYRANO: I must explain to you!. . .Oh! 'tis no great matter--I but thought of it to- day on seeing her. You have. . .
CHRISTIAN: Tell quickly!
CYRANO: You have. . .written to her oftener than you think. . .
CHRISTIAN: How so?
CYRANO: Thus, 'faith! I had taken it in hand to express your flame for you!. . .At times I wrote without saying, 'I am writing!'
CHRISTIAN: Ah!. . .
CYRANO: 'Tis simple enough!
CHRISTIAN: But how did you contrive, since we have been cut off, thus. . .to?. . .
CYRANO: . . .Oh! before dawn. . .I was able to get through. . .
CHRISTIAN (folding his arms): That